Flotation garment



y 7, 1959 H. E. MILLER 2,893,020

' FLOTATION GARMENT I Filed April 8, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR HAROLD E. Ml LLE R ATTORNEYI July 7, 1959 H. E.QMILLER FLOTATION GARMENT 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 8. 1954 INVENTOR HAROLD E. MILLER BY z'lm c mi lzh r ATTORNEYS H. E. MILLER FLOTATION GARMENT July 7, 1959 Filed April 8, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR HAROLD E. Ml LLE R ATTORNEYS United States Patent American Pad & Textile Co., Greenfield, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio ApplicationApril s, 1954, Serial No. 421,851 3 Claims. on. 9-20 I This invention concerns a buoyant garment which is of particular use for aquatic sports of motor boat racing and the like.

A'feature of the invention is the provision of a garment including a flotation pad which serves to cushion blows against the lower back, for example from the seat back of a racing boat; and which upon immersion of the wearer in the water is effective to confer buoyancy in association with other flotation members whereby the wearer is supported in the water in a breathing position even though unconscious.

Another feature is the provision of a garment having outer retaining walls providing closable pockets, with removable flotation members in the pockets, and including fasteners and connecting members whereby the flotation members are retained in selected positions at the wearers election.

- A further feature is the provision of a garment having flotation members so located therein that they effect a positioning of thewearers body, even if unconscious, whereby the head is supported with the face away from the water; and including a collar portion which is hingedly connected to other parts of the garment, and fasteners for controlling the relative position of the front of the collar portion.

With these and other features as objects in view, an illustrative form of practice is shown on the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view of the illustrative garment, seen from the front with the chest portions spread;

Fig. 2 is a corresponding view, from the back;

Fig. 3 is a front view, with the chest portions brought together and secured, and with the collar secured in a lower position;

Fig. 4 is a view, on a smaller scale, showing the garment from the side and in position upon a wearer while floating in water;

Fig. 5 is an upright sectional view, substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 3, but with the collar in raised position;

Fig. 6 is an illustrative section through a removable flotation pad.

The illustrative garment has an upper back portion UB, a lower back portion LB, a front chest portion comprising right and left parts CPR and CPL, and a collar portion CP. As shown in Fig. 5, the back portions BP, LB are formed by an inner fabric piece 10 extending from the neck to the bottom of the back portion LB; an outer upper fabric piece 11 extending to near the small of the back; and an outer lower fabric piece 12 forming the outer cover of the back portion or kidney flap LB. The fabric piece 11 of the portion UB is stitched at the 'upright edges 13, 14 to the fabric piece 10, for forming an upper pocket, these edges being narrowed at their top for comfort at the wearers arms. Separable fastener elements 15 illustratively of glove snap type are placed in the fabric pieces 10, 11 at a horizontal line below the shoulder blades and above the waist. The fabric piece 12'of' the portion'LB is secured along its bottom 16 "and vertical edges 17, 18 to the lower end of the fabric piece 10 for providinga pocket opposite the wearers kidneys. The fabric piece 11 has its lower edge outside of and overlapping the upper edge of fabric piece 12, and separable double snap fastener elements 19 are provided in the fabric pieces 10, 11, 12 along a horizontal line spaced lownwardly from the line of fasteners 15 to provide a zone Z. I

The right and left chest parts CPR and CPL are illustratively symmetrical so they can be connected together along their front vertical edges by a slide fastener having the fastener strips 20, 21 and the slide runner 22. Each part (Fig. 5) has an inner fabric piece 23 and an outer fabric piece 24, which are secured together along their relatively vertical edges to provide right and left pockets; snap fasteners 25 are provided on each chest part along the lower edge thereof to provide a closable pocket. Each chest part is wider at the bottom than at the top; and the upper edge is joined to the fabric pieces 10, 11 at the wearers shoulder by stitches 26: preferably stitching 27 is provided spaced from the stitches 26 to confine the flotation pad as described hereinafter and effective with the like stitching 28 on the upper back portion UB to restrict the thickness and bulk over the Wearers shoulders.

The lower rear upright edge 30 of one chest part CPL has secured thereto one end of a strap 31 which extends under guide loops 32 secured to the outer surface of the fabric piece 12 of the lower back LB, at mid-height of the same. A loop 33 is secured to the lower rear upright edge 34 of the other chest part CPR: and carries a rectangular connector yoke 35. The other end of strap 31 extends through the connector 35 and is attached to the adjusting buckle 36. Thus the strap 31 and loop 33 cooperate with the chest parts CPR, CPL and are guided by the guide loops 32 to provide a lower belt opposite the wearers kidneys.

Loops 38 are secured to the rear upright edges 39 of the chest parts CPR, CPL and carry rectangular connectors 40. Straps 41'are attached to the vertical edges 13, 14 of the back portion UB at the zone Z, and pass through the respective connector yokes 40 and are attached to the adjusting buckles 43. Thus the loops 38 and straps 41 cooperate with the chest parts CPR, CPL, and the portion UB at its zone Z to provide an adjustable upper belt located between the wearers shoulder blades and waist.

The collar portion CP is of splittoroid shape, with outer walls provided by upper and lower pieces of fabric 45, 46 which provide a structure which is substantially straight behind the wearers neck, and arches around the sides of the neck, with the front ends located near one another when free of stress (Fig. l). The pieces are stitched together along. the periphery 47 adjacent the neck, and for the parts of the outer periphery 48 from the ends to the wearers shoulders: together they are stitched to the upper edges 49. of the fabric pieces 23, 24 forming the chest pockets. The upper piece 45 is stitched at its inner edge to the upper edge of the fabric pieces 10, 11 forming the upper back portion UB; but the lower piece 46 is free therefrom to permit access to the collar pocket structure provided by the'fabric pieces 45, 46. The pad for the collar portion need not have a Waterimpermeable envelope, when a water-repellent filling such as kapok is present; as it is not largely immersed druring flotation.

At each front end the collar portion CP has a respective snap fastener element 50, 51 by which the end may be attached at a corresponding element on the respective chest part CPR and CPL adjacent the upper end of the slide fastener assembly 20, 21, 22. The two ends of the collar portion also have snap fastener elements 52 by which theseends may be secured together independently of the chest parts.

Pad material is placed in each of the pockets. It is preferred (Fig. 6) to employ such material for the chest and back portions in the form of a buoyant mass 60 such as kapok enclosed within an envelope 61 which for. the chest and back portions is preferably of a water-tight or water-impermeable material such as vinyl or like plastic, sealed tightly after filling; the envelope being shaped so that when 'so filled it provides a resiliently compressible and expansible mass conforming to the respective pocket: the chest portion pads being thicker and stiffer than the back pads whereby they maintain general shape. Such pads are provided in the several pockets. The pads can be removed to permit laundering of the outer fabric pieces. The fibrous filling for the lower back portion LB is employed largely for cushioning effect: it is preferred to compress the impermeable envelope 61 for this portion, to expel air prior to the final sealing. The other pads can be sealed with the filling in a fluifed condition, so that the air aids in attaining an established buoyancy effect when the envelope is sealed. The pads for the chest parts CPR, CPL are accessible upon loosening the fasteners 25: the pad in the upper back portion UB is accessible by releasing the snap fasteners 19 and the pad in the lower back portion LB is accessible by loosening both parts of the double snap fasteners 19: the split toroid pad in the collar portion CP may have a cloth envelope and can be removed by displacing the lower collar fabric piece 46 away from the fabric of the upper back portion UB, removing the central part of this collar pad, and drawing its ends from the enclosing jacket. The pads can be reinserted and the device made secure against their accidental separation in an inverse manner and retained in position by securing the several snap fasteners.

In service, the jacket is donned by the wearer who slips his arms through the spaces between the edges 13, 39 and 14, 39, above the respective straps 41. The chest parts CPR, CPL are drawn together (Fig. 3) across the .chest, and the runner 2.2 of the front slide fastener engaged and drawn upward in the usual fashion for such slide fasteners. The upper belt is then adjusted at the buckles 43 so that it is fairly tight across the lower chest but not constrictive of breathing: it serves to limit upward movement relative to the wearers body. The lower belt is adjusted at the buckle 36 so that the lower back portion or flap LB is held opposite the kidneys with a. looseness comfortable to the wearer. The collar portion CP is assembled to closed ring form by engaging the fastener elements 52. The collar may be employed, while the wearer is seated in a motor boat for example with the fasteners 50, 51 engaged so that the front of the collar is held .down away from the wearers chin, to avoid friction; it being noted that a simple upward thrust of the wearers hand against the front points of the collar can disengage the fasteners 50, 51 so that the collar is free for its front to hinge relatively upward about the stitching line provided between the collar back and the upper edge of the upper back portion UB. While seated in a motor boat, the lower back portion LB is between the seat back and the wearers kidneys, and thus cushions blows or shocks such as may occur when a hydroplane boat leaps from wave crest to wave crest.

If the motor boat should upset, so that the wearer is thrown into the water, the lower back portion LB rises by its buoyancy, 'hinging about its upper edge and the general zone Z (Fig. 4) so that the general center of buoyancy is raised. Therewith, the strap 31 and loop 33, by their aforesaid adjusted loosencss permit this movement while exerting a tension on the lower upright edges 30, 34 of the chest parts, holding these in place against the body. The upper belt serves to hold the upper back portion UB and the chest parts CPR, CPL against the body. The pad in the lower back portion LB is preferably thin, and is largely employed for its protection between the wearer and the seat back as described. The pad in the upper back portion U8 is likewise of less buoyancy than either of the pads in the chest parts, or the pad in the collar portion CP: accordingly, the maximum buoyancy effect is exerted around the chest and shoulders for tall or short wearers, by the action of the collar portion at the neck, and by the chest parts, with the result that the wearer is brought into a position in the water (Fig. 4)

with his head well raised and the face relatively upward,

regardless of whether the collar portion is then attached at the fasteners 50, 51 or not: the upward angle of the face being greater if the fasteners 50, 51 are freed. The wearers torso is normally supported in the water at an angle of around 45 to 60 degrees, with a person of longer torso being more upright, with the legs depending as shown. Thus, a safe position is assumed automatically by the wearers body, even if he is unconscious prior to the immersion. If the wearer has a moment of time, before or after the immersion, in which to raise his hand and disengage the fasteners 50, 51, the front of the collar will be raised by buoyancy essentially to the position of Fig. 5, wherewith the wearers chin is well elevated. The pulling effect at the lower belt 31 as the lower rear pad hinges about its upper edge, producing and maintaining a tension effect, which assists in holding the chest pad portions against the chest and waist.

It will be understood that the illustrated form is not restrictive, and that the invention may be employed in many ways within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A buoyant garment comprising a front portion and a back portion secured together at the shoulders, the front portion comprising a right hand part and a left hand part and means for connecting the vertical edges of said parts together, said right hand and left hand parts having stiff and form-maintaining flotation elements, the back portion having an upper flotation pad for positioning at the wearers shoulder blades and a lower flotation pad for positioning at the wearers kidneys, the said pads being connected by the back portion for relative hinging, a first strap connection independent of the said front parts connecting means and guided by the lower back portion below the hinging line and effective for connecting the lower parts of said front portion, said front portion being stiff and shape maintaining, second strap connections independent of said front parts connecting means and extending between the front and back portions above the hlnging line, and a collar portion in the shape of a split toroid with the ends at the front and having a flotation element, said collar portion being at its rear hingedly connected to the upper edge of the back portion and the front ends of the collar portion being free of said front parts, and separable connections on the collar portion and said front parts.

2. A buoyant garment as in claim 1, in which the upper and lower rear pads are spaced apart to provide a non-flotation zone at the hinging line.

3. A buoyant garment comprising back and front portions formed of fabric; the back portion having a first fabric member extending from below the wearers kidneys to the wearers shoulders, a second fabric member connected at its bottom to said first fabric member and extending upwardly to above the wearers kidneys, a third fabric member extending from the wearers shoulders downwardly and overlapping said second fabric member, said members being joined along their upright edges, separable connections between the first and second members along a line spaced upwardly from the lower edge of the third member, and separable connections between the first, second and third members at said overlapping zone; said front portion comprising right and left chest parts having inner and outer fabric members secured along their upright edges and secured at the shoulders to the back portion, separable means for connecting said front fabric members at their bottoms, and separable means for connecting the chest parts together; a collar portion of split toroid shape having a fabric envelope connected at the back of the wearers neck to the upper part of the back portion, said shaped envelope being adapted to extend from said connection forwardly around the wearers neck and with the ends of said shaped envelope in front, the envelope being closed at such front ends, the lower rear part of the envelope having an opening for insertion and removal of a flotation pad; separate adjustable connections independent ofsaid separable means for connecting said chest parts together, and respectively extending between the chest and back parts at levels at and above the wearers kidneys; and removable flotation pads in said collar portion, said chest parts and in the back portion next to said second fabric member and next References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,272,336 Edmonds July 9, 1918 1,366,344 Bailey Jan. 25, 1921 2,331,301 Brown Oct. 12, 1943 2,363,639 Brown Nov. 28, 1944 2,692,994 King et al. Nov. 2, 1954 

